Dolby Gets Into the 3-D Business

Whoah! Hold your horses, cinema chains. You might want to hold off on installing that Real D hardware to your theaters. Sure, Monster Houseis a big hit on your existing Digital 3D screens, which probably use Real D's technology, but now there is apparently a cheaper solution. Dolby Labs, who you may remember from such hits as Dolby Stereo and Dolby Digital, is developing its own 3D projection systems in a partnership with Infitec GmbH.

Dolby's system will be less costly than Real D because it will not need a special silver-based screen. This saves theaters on some of the installation process and charges. Of course, there are other systems that can currently be shown on a regular, old white screen, but their glasses are more expensive and require batteries. Dolby says their system will use the same type of glasses currently used for Real D's system. Well, I guess they're just absolutely perfect. (Let's just hope they don't blind us with their science, har har.)

The best thing is that Dolby figured out the need to develop their own system after aiding in the installment of Real D technology to theaters for the debut of Chicken Little. They saw the drawbacks and then worked out solutions ... for themselves. I guess any company thinking about working with Dolby in the future should think again. The company is planning to be ready with the system by next spring. I hope so. Cinemas need to prepare for Star Wars 3D already.